3D high frequency ultrasound imaging using a miniature spiral scanner

Piezo tube-driven vibration scanners have a high drive voltage, which is not conducive to miniaturization. A novel piezoelectric multilayer co-fired ceramic-driven 3D high-frequency ultrasound spiral scanner is proposed. In this work, a positioning system is employed, comprising a two-dimensional position-sensitive detector (PSD), to achieve real-time acquisition of precise transducer position information. With an excitation voltage of 50 Vp-p and a frequency of 200 Hz, the scanner can accomplish a spiral scanning of 5 mm in diameter. The process involves the continuous acquisition of ultrasonic signals and corresponding position data during the controlled traversal of the transducer across a phantom composed of tungsten wire. This systematic approach facilitates the subsequent reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) images. This scanner has a low drive voltage, light weight, fast scanning speed, and requires only one single element to realize three-dimensional high-frequency ultrasound imaging.